Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences reached by our project during this reporting period are grain/fiber hemp breeders, seed suppliers, researchers, growers, processors, buyers and regulators. While our research effort is primarily focused on the Midwest US, the project has facilitated relationships with a national and international network of stakeholders through a international sourcing of hemp genetics, presentations at national conferences, and open online access to our findings through the Midwestern Hemp Database. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has created training and professional development opportunities for participants in several areas: • Researchers, technical staff and students have gained profeciency in hemp research through collaborative development, refinement and execution of hemp research protocols. • Participating growers have gained skill in hemp variety selection and agronomy through regular interactions with one another and researchers, as well as through the applied experience of executing hemp strip trials on their farms. • Other researchers, growers, buyers, processors and regulators have gained hemp knowledge and experience through exposure to the project through personal communications, meetings, outreach events, presentations by the project team and access to the Midwestern Hemp Database. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Date Institution Location Title # of people reached 7/11/23 Purdue University Agronomy Center for Research and Education, West Lafayette, IN Purdue Hemp Field Day 20 7/21/23 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign UIUC Research and Education Farm, Urbana, IL UIUC Hemp Research Openhouse, Organizer and presenter 50 7/25/23 Michigan State University IND Hemp, Great Falls, MT IND Hemp Summit - Hemp Agronomy Presentation and Panelist 173 8/9/23 Michael Fields Ag Institute MFAI Research Farm, East Troy, WI MFAI Field Day 71 8/17/23 University of Wisconsin-Madison Arlington Ag Research Station, Arlington, WI UW Hemp Research Field Day 95 8/17/23 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illinois State Fair Ground, Springfield, IL Illinois State Fair Presentation 100 8/30/23 University of Wisconsin-Madison Arlington Ag Research Station, Arlington, WI UW Agronomy and Soils Field Day 100 8/31/23 University of Wisconsin-Madison Arlington Ag Research Station, Arlington, WI UW Organic Agriculture Research Field Day 60 8/31/23 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Farm Progress Show, Decatur, IL Hemp Booth, Demo Plots and Presentations 200 9/13/23 Michigan State University Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL Joliet Junior College Field Day - Hemp Presentation 81 9/20/23 Michigan State University MSU-UPREC, Chatham, MI Northern MI University Medicinal Plants Chemistry Student Plot Tours 31 11/13/23 All Auburn University, Auburn, AL Science of Hemp Conference Presentations and Poster 50 1/30/24 Purdue University Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Hemp Food and Fiber Workshop 31 3/27/24 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Springfield, IL Illinois Hemp Summit Presentation 70 NA All https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/hemp-grain-and-fiber-database/ Midwestern Hemp Database 283 Total 1415 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the year ahead, our MHRC team plans to continue expanding on the foundation laid in years one and two. This work will include repeating variety and agronomy trials in 2024-25 with updated protocols based on participant feedback and accrued researcher experience (Obj. 1 & 3); refining our approach to pest and disease monitoring by incorporating the new S-1084 pest protocols for intensively tracking a subset of four varieties at key developmental stages throughout the hemp lifecycle (emergence, vegetative and reproductive) (Obj. 1); continuing to support participating growers, facilitating on-farm research, communication and information sharing among growers, researchers, suppliers and buyers, as well as holding public hemp outreach events in each of the participating states (Obj. 2); and further analyzing, summarizing and archiving data from the 2023-24 growing seasons in collaboration with USDA NCAUR, the UI Plant Clinic and our grower advisors, as well as uploading 2024 data to the MHD for public access in accordance with our data management plan (Obj. 4). We will also publish preliminary written reports in multiple formats and begin drafting manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and as extension bulletins/articles in alignment with our outreach plan. Winter of 2024-25 will be focused on retention of suppliers and growers now that we have reached our participation goals, further refining the list of hemp varieties in our study to expel any poorly adapted germplasm and replacing it with better adapted cultivars for our region, and evaluation of project impact in our first two-and-a-half years. In addition to repeating the supplier and grower advisory meeting held in January 2024, we plan to survey our hemp suppliers, collaborating growers and database users in the winter of 2024-25 to gather their feedback and preliminary impact data based on our project logic model. The winter ahead will also offer an opportunity to continue facilitating connections among participating growers, seed suppliers, and hemp processors/buyers in the region through in-person and digital interactions. The 2025 growing season will allow us to further refine our research methods, particularly in terms of assessing grain and fiber quality to contextualize/qualify gross yield data with a special focus on fiber quality metrics and Fusarium spp. infesting grain hemp and their potential risk of mycotoxin contamination inspired by Fusarium detections in 2023. We will otherwise repeat the cultivar and agronomy trials executed in 2023 and 2024 to accumulate an additional third year of insights on hemp performance under a unique set of environmental and management conditions. We anticipate that completing a third year of field research in 2025 will necessitate requesting a six-month no-cost extension through December 2025 to complete harvest, data collection and analysis for the 2025 field season.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Obj. 1 The project Co-PDs and partners at the University of Illinois Plant Clinic (UI Plant Clinic) and USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (USDA NCAUR) have met monthly via Zoom since Nov 2022 to coordinate project activities. 33 cultivars were entered by 10 suppliers in 2024, including 22 cultivars suitable for grain production and 20 for fiber (some dual purpose). Our grain list includes experimental hemp hybrids, a promising example of innovation in the industry. Separate replicated trials for grain and fiber were established at six university farms in MI (1), WI (3), IL (1) and IN (1) with plant dates ranging from May 11 - 31, 2024 . The experimental design for all locations was a RCBD with 4 replications. Excessive spring rain delayed planting at some locations in 2024. Our team has noted variable efficacy and crop safety of Sonolan (Ethalfluralin) in hemp across years and locations related to application timing, incorporation method (tillage vs irrigation) and hemp variety, which will be useful information for hemp growers. A common protocol was developed and refined by the Co-PDs. Variability in harvest methods (manual vs mechanical) has raised questions about the comparability of yield data across locations, so we will compare harvest methods in 2024. In 2023, unretted fiber yields were 260 - 13,148 DM lbs/a (Avg. 5,570 lbs/a) and grain yields were 83 - 2,893 lbs/a (Avg. 891 lbs/a). In general, hybrid grain varieties provided better establishment (seedling vigor) and higher grain yield than open pollinated lines. Cultivars were generally THC compliant at harvest (<0.3% THC), except for two varieties of Chinese origin. Grain samples were submitted to USDA NCAUR for proximate composition analysis, which is partially reported in the Midwestern Hemp Database. The UI Plant Clinic provided customized protocols, forms and supplies for pest scouting and sampling. Insect and spore traps are monitored weekly, while general scouting for other signs and symptoms of pests is completed on a monthly basis with samples submitted to the Plant Clinic for identification. Soil samples were also collected in 2023-24 to identify nematodes associated with hemp. A total of 202 plant samples were diagnosed by the UI Plant Clinic in 2023, resulting in the identification of 13 different pathogens and 8 insect pests affecting hemp in our region. Obj. 2 7 hemp farms have continued as participants from 2023 and were joined by 13 new farms for a total of 20 hemp operations and 26 individuals participating in 2024. These growers are uniquely diverse in terms of age, gender and farming experience. Many of have previously raised cannabinoid (CBD, CBG, etc.) hemp, and are interested in transitioning to grain or fiber. We have struggled to recruit larger field crop producers who are best equipped to grow grain/fiber hemp, likely due regulatory bariers (min acreage, license fees) and the current lack of processing and market outlets for hemp products. However, our 2024 cohort includes 5-6 established field crop producers that are bringing valuable perspectives. In late January of 2024, participating hemp suppliers and growers were invited to join two virtual advisory meetings focused on reporting of 2023 results and planning for the 2024 season. Participants were asked to identify key stakeholders missing from the project team and then discussed what has been working well and areas for improvement in the categories of varieties and maturity, agronomy, quality sampling/analysis, pest management, grower engagement and public outreach, reporting and logistics. Several suggestions from these meetings have already been incorporated into our 2024 protocol. In 2024, grower interactions have been shifted to a monthly formal meeting schedule based on participant feedback. 11 hemp cultivars were made available by suppliers for on-farm strip trials in 2024. Cooperating growers opted to grow either grain or fiber and received seed for 3 cultivars to plant in a strip trial with 1-3 replications. The Co-PDs supplied seed, seeding rates and an experimental design, while growers have applied and recorded their preferred management practices. Growers submit their data using SeedLinked, as well as flower samples for THC analysis. SeedLinked has helped to facilitate on-farm trial logistics and farmer-researcher communication through their social feed. Midwest hemp growers, regardless of project participation, have also been invited to submit hemp pest samples to the UI Plant Clinic for diagnostics free of charge. Obj. 3 Hemp agronomy trials were designed by the Co-PDs and installed at university locations in 2023-24 to answer critical crop management questions facing hemp growers in the region, including those regarding soil preparation and seeding rate (3 site-years), planting date (8 site-years), and nitrogen fertility (8 site-years). These agronomy trials include two grain and two fiber hemp varieties and are being executed in at least two locations, one northern state (WI or MI) and one southern state (IL or IN) each year. A 2023 soil preparation and planting rate trial in IL and WI compared pre-plant tillage and no-till planting at a range of seeding rates from 66-133% of what is normally recommended. We hypothesized that pre-plant tillage and moderate seeding rates will maximize grain yield with little effect on quality, while tillage and higher seeding rates will maximize fiber yield and quality. However, no statistically significant yield differences were observed between tilled and no-till treatments in 2023. In our 2023 variety trials, hemp grain yields were optimized at 6-8 plants/ft2 and fiber yields at 15-17 plants/ft2, which is significantly lower than our previous target populations. A 2023 planting date study in MI, IL and WI (2) examined the effect of planting date on hemp yield and quality. Hemp was planted on four different dates at each location on a 10 to 14-day cycle May 18 - July 7, 2023. These planting dates were mostly later than anticipated due to delays in receiving seed. However, given drought stress late May - early June, later planting dates established more successfully than the earliest plantings at some locations. Delayed planting generally reduced grain and fiber yield potential, but it is apparent that certain full-season fiber hemp cultivars are better adapted to delayed planting in the case of early season moisture stress or double cropping. Lastly, a 2023 nitrogen fertility study was conducted in MI, WI, IL and IN to examine the effect of various nitrogen fertilizer forms and rates on industrial hemp yield and quality. Treatments consisted of four actual N rates 0-150 lbs per acre. We hypothesized that N rates near 150 lbs per acre would maximize hemp yield, while lower rates would maximize fiber quality. Ultimately, locations varied in their response to nitrogen. N rates of 50-100 lbs/a were generally sufficient to maximize hemp fiber yield, while 100-150 lbs/a N was needed to maximize grain yield. Hemp varieties also differed in their apparent N use efficiency. Obj. 4 Data generated by the MHRC Team has been used to populate the Midwestern Hemp Database (MHD). This public database provides timely data from university research and commercial producers paired with visualization tools that can be used to support farmer and regulator decision-making regarding cultivar selection. NIFA support has been used to grow and improve the existing database through addition of the grain and fiber sub-page, promotion among stakeholders, subsidization of grower cannabinoid analysis, and expansion of the agronomic meta-data (planting date, seeding rate, N rate, etc.) associated with each yield/quality observation reported. The database currently includes information on 61 different grain and fiber hemp cultivars based on 743 individual observations (plots/fields), with most varieties having three or more observations (up to 55 per variety).
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
DeDecker, J., Alberti, P., Durairaj, E.S., and Bolt, M. in Gauthier. N and Kesheimer, K. 2023. Science of Hemp: Production and Pest Management Meeting Proceedings. Auburn University and University of Kentucky.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
DeDecker, J. et al. 2023. Hemp Agronomy and Variety Performance in the Midwest US. IND Hemp Summit, Great Falls, MT. Michigan State University.
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences reached by our project during this reporting period are hemp breeders, seed suppliers, researchers, growers, processors, buyers and regulators. Learning Outcome: Participating breeders, seed suppliers, researchers and farmers uare using different ways of learning/knowing to identify adapted industrial hemp cultivars and best management practices for the NCR. Action Outcomes: Other farmers, processors and buyers will analyze and apply this information to differentiate between available industrial hemp cultivars and management options, selecting the best practices for their unique operations. Hemp breeders and seed suppliers will use resulting information to develop new, low-risk hemp cultivars. Hemp regulators will analyze and apply resulting information to implement performance-based sampling of industrial hemp. We expect that success in reaching our target audiences and achieving the above learning and action outcomes will significantly reduce the risk associated with industrial hemp production in the NCR and, therefore, encourage farmers to increase hemp acreage and production in the region. Long-term, increasing production of hemp, a carbon-neutral crop yielding many potential products, will enhance the diversity and sustainability of agriculture in the Midwest U.S. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has created training and professional development opportunities for participants in several areas: Researchers, technical staff and students have gained profeciency in hemp research through collaborative development, refinement and execution of hemp research protocols. Participating growers have gained skill in hemp variety selection and agronomy through regular interactions with one another and researchers, as well as through the applied experience of executing hemp strip trials on their farms. Other researchers, growers, buyers, processors and regulators have gained hemp knowledge and experience through exposure to the project through personal communications, meetings, outreach events and presentations by the project team. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the period of July 10-13, 2023, PD DeDecker visited twelve of the participating growers at their farms to view the hemp plots and collect observations of crop establishment, weed pressure and relative maturity (flowering dates). These visits offered incredible insights on the interaction of genetics X environment X management in hemp, and also allowed face-to-face engagement with growers who are less comfortable using digital means of communication. It is clear from these visits that crop rotation sequence, soil preparation, planting methods and weed management are common challenges for hemp growers in Midwest, in addition to variety selection. Other outreach events highlighting project activities that have already occurred or are planned for 2023 are listed below: Michigan State University talk for CSU Institute of Cannabis Research webinar - May 17, 2023 Purdue University Hemp Field Day in West Lafayette, IN - July 11, 2023 State Representative Jenn Hill visit to Michigan State University in Chatham, MI - July 15, 2023 University of Wisconsin Regional Agronomy Field Day in Chippewa Falls, WI - July 19, 2023 University of Illinois Hemp Research Open House in Champaign, IL - July 21 & 22, 2023 Michigan State University talks at IND Hemp Summit in Great Falls, MT - July 25-25, 2023 University of Wisconsin Emerging Crops Field Day in Chippewa Falls, WI - August 3, 2023 Michael Fields Emerging Crops for Soil Health Field Day in East Troy, WI - August 9, 2023 University of Wisconsin Hemp Research Field Day in Arlington, WI - August 17, 2023 MHRC booth, plots and demos at Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL - August 29-31, 2023 University of Wisconsin Agronomy/Soils Field Day in Arlington, WI - August 30, 2023 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plans for Year Two 2023-24 In the year ahead, our MHRC team plans to continue and expand on the foundation laid in year one. This work will include analyzing, summarizing and archiving variety and agronomy trial data from the 2023 growing season in collaboration with USDA NCAUR, the UI Plant Clinic and our grower advisors, as well as uploading that information to the MHD for public access in accordance with our data management plan. We will also publish preliminary written reports in multiple formats for presentation and sharing by the Co-PDs in alignment with our outreach plan. Our final activity for the 2023 growing season will be surveying our hemp suppliers and collaborating growers to gather their feedback and preliminary impact data based on our project logic model. Winter of 2023-24 will be focused on leveraging our year one activities and data to expand the number of participating hemp farms from the current fifteen to at least twenty, and refining the list of hemp varieties in our study to expel any poorly adapted germplasm and replace it with better adapted cultivars for our region. This process will hopefully allow us to reengage hemp suppliers that did not participate in 2023 due to failed MTA negotiations, especially suppliers of promising European fiber genetics that we have previously accessed through other projects (S-1084). The winter ahead will also offer an opportunity to facilitate further connections among participating growers and between growers and hemp processors/buyers in the region through in-person and digital interactions. The 2024 growing season will allow us to further refine our research methods, particularly in terms of testing earlier planting dates, which will hopefully remain unimpeded by MTA negotiations and drought conditions that delayed planting in year one. We will otherwise repeat the cultivar and agronomy trials executed in 2023 to accumulate an additional year of insights on hemp performance under a unique set of environmental and management conditions. Grower engagement in year two will focus on facilitating agronomic best management practices based on our experiences in year one, particularly as they relate to seedbed preparation, planting methods and weed management on Midwest hemp farms.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Obj 1: The project Co-PDs and partners at the University of Illinois Plant Clinic (UI Plant Clinic) and USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (USDA NCAUR) have met monthly via Zoom since November 2022 to coordinate project activities. A solicitation letter for cultivar entries was distributed in winter of 2022-23 and twenty industrial hemp cultivars were entered by nine different suppliers for our 2023 variety trials. This includes seventeen cultivars suitable for grain production and twelve cultivars suitable for fiber production (some dual purpose). Replicated variety trials for grain and fiber cultivars were established at seven university farms in MI (2), WI (3), IL (1) and IN (1) with plant dates ranging from May 25 - June 13. Above average temperatures and little precipitation across the Midwest in late May and early June complicated hemp establishment in 2023. Trial managers irrigated where possible to support hemp establishment, and all but one variety trial location (MI 1 of 2) was successfully established. Both university and on-farm locations had first-time experiences using recently labeled Sonolan (Ethalfluralin) for pre-emergent weed control in industrial hemp, allowing us to test its efficacy across a range of hemp genetics and environments. A common protocol for data collection, recording and sharing via software called Field Book was developed and refined by the Co-PDs. In-season observations to-date have included hemp and weed stand density 14-days post emergence and hemp flowering dates. For early fiber cultivars that have begun flowering, we are also collecting data plant height, male:female sex ratio and sampling flowers for cannabinoid analysis by the USDA NCAUR at Peoria, IL. As fiber harvest begins over the next few weeks, Co-PDs will begin to measure above-ground whole plant biomass, fiber yield and quality. Harvest of grain hemp cultivars will occur later in the growing season. The UI Plant Clinic has provided customized protocols, forms and supplies for pest scouting and sampling at project locations. Pheromone and sticky traps have been deployed at all locations over the last two weeks targeting corn earworm, corn borer and other insects utilizing hemp. Spore traps have been distributed and installed to capture evidence of fungal pathogens present in hemp fields. Experimental "smart" insect traps using solar panels, automated cameras and mobile data transfer are also being tested at our project locations in collaboration with the SMAPPLAB Company. Obj 2: Sixteen private hemp operations, including 29 individual growers plus students at Joliet Junior College, were recruited in late winter of 2022-23 to serve as project advisors and conduct on-farm variety trials. These growers are uniquely diverse in terms of age, gender and farming experience relative to the average American farmer. Many of these growers have previously raised or processed high cannabinoid (CBD, CBG, etc.) hemp, and are interested in transitioning to, or adding, industrial grain or fiber production to their operations due to economic and regulatory challenges facing the cannabinoid hemp sector. Researchers and growers have met weekly since March 17, 2023 in an open office hours format to discuss project activities (19 meetings to-date). Eleven of twenty hemp cultivars were made available by suppliers in sufficient quantities for on-farm strip trials. Cooperating growers indicated their interest in growing either grain or fiber types, and received seed for three cultivars to plant in a strip trial design with 1-3 replications. The Co-PDs supplied seed, recommended seeding rates and a planting layout (experimental design), while growers have otherwise applied and recorded their preferred management practices. Growers are submitting their geographic, management and plant performance data via an online survey using the SeedLinked platform, as well as flower samples for cannabinoid analysis by the USDA NCAUR. Grower data collection is emphasizing experiential and qualitative information to compliment the quantitative information generated by our university trials. Midwest hemp growers, regardless of project participation, have also been invited by the Co-PDs and partners in the region to submit hemp pest samples to the UI Plant Clinic for diagnostics free of charge. Obj 3: Hemp agronomy trials were designed by the Co-PDs and installed at ten university locations in 2023 to answer critical crop management questions facing hemp growers in the region, including those regarding soil preparation and seeding rate (2 locations), planting date (4 locations), and nitrogen fertility (4 locations). A soil preparation and planting rate trial in IL and WI is comparing pre-plant tillage and no-till planting at a range of seeding rates from 66-133% of what is normally recommended for grain or fiber. Observations of stand establishment, weed pressure, yield and cannabinoid concentrations are being collected and reported for the different tillage and seeding rate combinations. In general, our experiences in 2023 suggest that pre-plant tillage following corn or soybean and moderate seeding rates will maximize grain yield with little effect on quality, while tillage and higher seeding rates will maximize fiber yield and quality. A planting date study is also underway in MI, IL and WI (2) to examine the effect of planting date on industrial hemp yield and quality. Hemp was planted on four different dates at each location on a 14-day cycle from as early as May 18 up until July 7, 2023. These planting dates are mostly later than anticipated due to delays in receiving and redistributing seed. Observations of stand establishment, flowering date, maturity date, height, above-ground biomass, yield and quality are being collected. Some locations have just now begun to harvest their earliest fiber planting dates. We hypothesized that early planting and harvest of industrial hemp will maximize yield and allow sufficient time for cover cropping or double cropping after hemp. However, it seems in 2023 that delaying planting until moisture conditions improve and selecting later maturing or day-neutral cultivars, particularly for fiber, may be an equally successful strategy in dry years. Lastly, a nitrogen fertility study is being conducted in MI, WI, IL and IN to examine the effect of various nitrogen fertilizer forms and rates on industrial hemp yield and quality. Treatments consist of four actual N rates 0-150 lbs per acre in 50 lb increments. One location used organic N sources while the other three applied conventional N sources to achieve the desired N rates. Observations of weather conditions, hemp yield and quality are being collected and reported. We hypothesized that N rates near 150 lbs per acre will maximize hemp yield, while lower rates around 50 lbs per acre will maximize fiber quality. As the season progresses, clear differences among the treatments in crop height and color have become apparent. Obj 4: Data generated by the MHRC Team and on-farm research participants will be used to populate the Midwestern Hemp Database (MHD). The population of MHD participants will be further leveraged as a targeted survey sample to gauge needs in the hemp industry and evaluate utilization of the information generated through our research. Survey results will be presented to the advisory committee to inform their discussion and recommendations to the project team.
Publications
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